


Zutara Week 2019

by AutumnKnight17



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Zutara Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 12:03:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20025514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnKnight17/pseuds/AutumnKnight17
Summary: A compilation of my contributions to Zutara Week 2019





	Zutara Week 2019

DAY 1: GIFTS 

Katara doesn't even notice when he arrives, which is somewhat of a miracle. Even with the war over she hasn’t been able to dull her senses, not a bit, not an inch. Every small crunch of the leaves, every changing breath of the wind still sets her muscles tense and her skin on guard, which is why him sneaking up on her is such a rare occurrence. Still, even not having noticed him walking in, when he settles next to her she is suddenly, _keenly_ aware of his presence. 

“It’s weird,” he says, taking in a breath. She has to force herself not to move away when his shoulders brush hers. They didn’t use to be that broad, but over the years he had somehow gained even _more_ muscle and height. At 18, he now stood a solid foot taller than her, thicker and stronger than he was fighting in a war no one thought they could ever win. She was glad for it, after Azula struck him with lightning he was so weak, frail almost, and she’d had to nurse him back to health. He clung onto life by the very skin of his fingertips back then, and she tended to him like a weak fire in a roaring storm. 

But he survived, just like all of them, and is better for it. 

“What is, _Fire Lord?_” She asks, emphasising his title much more than necessary, hitting the syllables hard and smiling down at her hands. He groans playfully, ducking his head down and running his fingers through his loose hair. For the first time, she notices that he isn’t wearing the top knot or the hair pin. 

“You know what I mean,” he grouses, but through the hair she can see a smile cracking his lips wide open. “This is,” he stands to his full height, gesturing outwards, over the railing of the balcony and at the lit up, bustling streets of the fire nation. The palace towers over the city and it makes it easy to see what he means, “I’m their Fire Lord,” he says, awe colouring every part of his voice. 

“Yeah,” Katara says, humming quietly, “you really are.” That’s said with awe too, because he is, and the people are happy, she can see street vendors selling Fire Nation peace flags to tourists from other nations, an earth bender is busking on the street as citizens watch and clap, occasionally adding to the pile of coins at their feet. It’s peace, the peace everyone thought was unachievable and it had come from their fight, from Zuko’s rule. 

“It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be,” he says, “all I’m really doing is serving the people,” he continues, clenching a fist tight, “but there are still uproars, rebellions,” and they both wince at the thought of the most recent one, the one that had taken 81 Fire Nation soldiers to subdue, and even a few Citizen’s lives. A riot led by men of a rebellion that claimed he wasn’t fit to be Fire Lord, all because he refused to wage war. It has been a thoroughly difficult battle, maintaining his seat.

“Sometimes people don’t know what they want until they get it,” Katara says, hesitating before reaching out and resting a hand on his back, “be patient, and one day they’ll realise how good you are for them.” 

Zuko shakes his head, “I can’t do this alone,” he admits in a rush, all the breath leaving his lungs, “I promised that once the war was over and I began my reign that no mother would ever have to send her son off to fight again,” he takes a deep breath, a shuddering one, like he’s trying hard not to cry, “but just last week I sent off a battalion of men who fought and died.” His shoulders hitch once, and Katara thinks maybe he is going to cry, before she realises that he’s readying himself for something. “I want to ask Azula to be Fire Lord with me.” 

Katara’s hands still, go numb, and her heart does the same. “What?” 

He breathes in deep, “I always knew she’d do this better than me, but I couldn’t give her the throne because she wasn’t mentally sound. Last week, after,” he pauses, clearing his throat to keep his voice from breaking down, “—after the riot, I spoke to Lo and Li about having Azula take over and they presented the possibility of us ruling side by side. Fire Lord Twins have done it for centuries,” he reveals, “it will appease the loyalists, and the citizens backing me. I will keep her in line and she will help me.” 

Zuko straightens, pushing a hand into his pocket and pulling out a large oval shaped item. He pushes it into her hand, and she looks at it only for a moment before she realises exactly what it is. It’s the bead of a betrothal necklace, one that can be attached to the one her mother gave her. It has no inscription, just a very familiar shape in the middle. It looks exactly like the scar Zuko got when Azula struck him with lightning. 

“And I have a back-up plan,” he starts, “the symbol,” he says, tracing it lightly, “I gave my life for you once, and I want to give it to you again.” 

“Why?” Katara asks, she doesn’t know what else to do. 

“When I ask Azula to be Fire Lord alongside me, since she is my younger sister, she is the direct line of ascendance, meaning when I die she is the heir,” he reasons, “she won’t kill me, but the rebellion might. If I have a wife, the line of ascension changes, whatever offspring we might have is automatically the heir to the throne. Either Azula will rule in our child’s stead, or you, until they are of age.”

Then he takes a deep breath, “And I love you.” 

Katara turns the words over in her mind, she knows it’s true, and she knows she does too. She just doesn’t know what to do. 

Until she looks up and sees his hopeful eyes, the years haven’t done anything to reduce his striking features, even the scar does nothing to that effect, Katara doesn’t think anything could make Zuko not handsome to her. She nods, and sinks into his arms. 

She hears the beat of his heart and knows with a certainty she didn’t know was possible that she did the right thing.


End file.
